Chapter 8: Battle of Phoenix and Snake
A thick,smokey haze seemed to be clinging in the air. The room was dark even though light shone through a window. A silent figure could be made out through the smoke..it was a woman. She was standing right in front of the window,looking down through it. Half of her body was in shadow including her face. She looked young but seemed weak and in distress. One of her pale hands touched the windowpane. She seemed to be in a kind of daze as well. Suddenly, a hand closed upon her shoulder, so hard that it made her swirl around. Both of her shoulders were now being grasped by what seemed to be a man. Her body seemed to relax a bit as she slowly lifted her arms around his neck to pull him in to a tight embrace. They remained like this for awhile, as if needing to be together like this for fear of their own lives. Then,just as abruptly as the man came in, another woman came in. She pulled the man off of the woman and pushed him into the wall next to window. The first woman screamed and grabbed ahold of the second womans hair,trying to get her off of the man. But try as she might to seperate them, it was no use. The second woman, threw the first woman off and grabbed tightly onto the robes of the strange man and threw him, with a huge push, through the window. The first woman bolted from her spot and ran wildly towards the broken window. She screeched as she saw a single figure sprawled obviously dead upon the pavement. "NOOOOOOOO..."
"NOOOOOOO..." she sat up on her bed, her eyes adjusting to the strange light that was surrounding her. As she blinked her eyes rapidly, her surroundings became more focused. She was in her bedroom,in her bed and it was clearly morning but not as early as she is accustomed to,so it must have been around early afternoon at the latest. She felt hot and sweaty. She looked down and noticed that her hands were shaking and the sheets around her looked terribly ruffled and wrinkled. She was breathing in short,hyperventulating sperts and she was breathing through her mouth. "Whats wrong?" she whirled her head around to her left,and noticed her husband,half-dressed staring at her apprehensively. She tried moving her hand to her chest to try to stop her breathing so rapidly,but seemed to have trouble moving her limbs. Draco moved to the dresser next to the bed,and where atop sat a water jug with two glasses there. He started pouring out a glass of water for her as he continued to speak, "Were you having a dream?" he asked as he handed her the glass.
"Mhm-m" she murmered,gratefully accepting the glass and started to drink. She drank the whole glass in one gulp and gave it back to Draco for a refill. "I was dreaming,but it was such a strange dream. Ive never dreamt like that before." she said softly. The water seemed to rejuvenate her somewhat,but her throat still felt dry and her hands and head were still somewhat still hot. Draco didnt say anything as he handed her the glass back, full of water once again. He turned his back on her and walked around the bed and strode towards the fireplace,his face still away from her. "Were you perhaps dreaming of something..or someone...?" his voice was no longer concerned or soft-spoken like when he was talking to her the previous time. His voice sounded hard and questioning. Hermione took the glass away from her lips. "Yeah..I mean yes, I was dreaming of someone, actually it was more than one person it was-" " Ron?" Draco said at once. He had moved towards her and his face was finally facing her. He looked cold and distant,a look Hermione hadnt seen on him since the night that he had taken her to see Lord Voldemort.
"You were dreaming of him werent you? You were dreaming of him and you together" Draco said again." And dont lie to me, I always know when people are lieing!" He was standing at the foot of the bed and his silver eyes were glistening in rage,and were slit-like,like a hawk when it was watching its preys movements. He squinted at Hermione surveyingly,without blinking,waiting for her to answer. Hermione looked confused and shocked at the same time as she stared at him. ' Is that what he thinks? Figures! Here I am slightly dazed and all he cares about is if I was dreaming of Ron... ' She stared at Draco for a few moments in silence before speaking, chosing her words wisely lest he might burst in a fit of rage from disbelief. "What makes you think that? I have not said anything about Ron when I was trying to explain my dream to you. You just naturally assume that I was?" she said,slightly rising from the bed,glass still in her hand. When she spoke,her voice was slightly raised and full of indignancy. ' If hes going to accuse me of something,he can at least have the decency of keeping Ron out of it ' she thought to herself.
Draco never stirred as she spoke,but now that she was done he immediatley walked straight to her and said, his voice very cold and accusing,"Because it wouldnt be the first time that you have dreamt of him,would it be?" At this,Hermione jumped from the bed. She was standing right in front of him. "What are you talking about? How would you know anything about what I dream or not?" Her eyes were boring into his,and his hers. "Because isnt it obvious? The first few nights you were here, Im sure you must have at least thought about him?" He never looked away, even though his voice was taken down a notch in volume. Hermione sighed audibly. She had thought that Draco or someone else in the house was even monitoring her in her sleep. ' Well I wouldnt be surprised if they did...' she thought to herself.
"Well, I think even you said it yourself. Isnt it expected? I mean, you kidnap me a few seconds after he dies and you dont expect me to think of him at the very least?" She stopped abruptly. This was the first time that she had talked about Rons death to anybody,least of all Draco,who was the cause of his death. She felt something inside as she was talking about Ron to Draco and she didnt understand what it was,all she knew that it felt somewhat...comforting...to finally let some of the things that were buried deep inside her become released...even if it was a very minuscule portion of it,she felt a burden somewhat being lifted,but only slightly. But Draco on the other hand didnt look to comfortable talking about Ron in the way that Hermione was suggesting. "So you admit it? You admit that you HAVE been dreaming about him?" he looked angry as he moved closer to Hermione with every word.
Hermione was starting to become slightly madder with every syllable that he uttered. ' What is he playing at? Is he trying to start a row already, this eary in the blasted morning? He cant be serious? Wait a minute...' Hermiones eyes popped wide with comprehension and her mouth opened slightly. "Are you telling me that youre jealous of my fiancee?" she told him a look of shock and confusion in both her voice and face. "EX FIANCEE,Need I remind you that you are now married to me, and that he his dead!" Hermione blushed slightly at her fatal mistake but recovered quickly at his last words. "Oh dont worry, I dont think that Ill ever forget that detail in my wonderful life," she said both sarcastically and coldly. She continued,"Nor the reasons for this 'merry' marriage,and that my husband just happens to be jealous-" "I AM NOT JEALOUS!" He said stubbornly. "I wouldnt even be talking about this with you right now if it wasnt for the fact that youre having fantasies about a memory,especially one that involves a filthy,poor,worthless,little blood-traitor as him." he spat at her. Hermiones face was red as the sun and her teeth were gritted together painfully. She had finally cracked.
In a few short seconds,Hermione had gripped tightly around the glass full of water and threw the water right into his face. Ice cold water was dripping from his bleach-blond hair,his neck was dripping with it as it rolled down it in droplets onto his bare chest. But Hermione wasnt done. She lifted her arm,high over Dracos head with the glass still grasped in her hand,and just as she was about to slam it over his his skull,he reached up and stopped her,by grabbing her hand with his,their fingers locked over each others and the glass. Hermione grunted in anger and frustration as she tried to pry his hand from hers with her free hand and Dracos other hand also stopped that too. They struggled like that for a few seconds,until Dracos weight made Hermione started walking backwards and she didnt stop until her legs,in a clumsy moment,collided with the bed,making her fall on it with Draco on top of her,his arms pinning hers on either side of her.
They were pinned on the bed like a cross,and still struggling for power of the glass,until Draco finally was able to get it from Hermiones red fingers. Draco laughed at her as he lifted the cup over head, in a mocking way,as she struggled under him to reach it. He smirked at her,while shaking his head in a "No" fashion. As he did this, a few water droplets fell upon Hermiones face,and the top of her robes were soaked. "Youre getting me wet." she groaned angrily. "Release me at once." she commanded with the air of someone in charge of the situation. Draco also laughed at this,and smirked as he spoke to her saying," I see that it only takes a few days to be married to a Malfoy,to start acting like one..or at least behave like one." He again held the glass over his head. "Besides,that was a very rude thing to do in the middle of our conversation,Mrs. Malfoy." he said again,as he laughed again at Hermiones expense.
Hermione was started to get agitated but found herself inwardly smiling. It was amazing that all it took was for Draco to feel more powerful than her,or than anyone in any situation,and he begins to smirk like a kid. In fact his smirk was so mischievious and so boyish that she couldnt help but feel her spirits being lifted,but not before she had her say."Dont you try to worm your way out of this with that handsome smirk of yours. Im telling you right now not to talk about Ron like that ever again,do you understand?" Her eyes were furrowed together in determination,in hopes that he would take her seriously. He smirked even wider at her,making her stomach do flip-flops which she immediatley wished that her stomach would stop doing,as she was certain he would have felt,seeing as he was laying right on top of her." Did you just call my smirk, handsome?" he asked his eyebrow raised.
Hermione felt something red creep up her cheeks. She hadnt realized that she had said what she was thinking. "Wherever did you get such a ludicrous assumption as that? I think your smirk is ridiculous. I never said anything about me liking it." Her watched her closely, then moved very close to her face. She tried leaning away, but failed miserably, considering that there was no room on the bed to move away towards, especially since he was on top, and thus had the upper hand. "I never said that." he said, his smirk back in place. "But you just said-" Hermione started, determined yet scared to move her lips at all,...they were so close to his. He cut her off, before she could continue. "I never said that you said that LIKED my smirk...I just said that you so cunningly said, that you thought it handsome. But whats the difference really? I knew you must have liked some part of me, and if it be only my smirk, then so be it. Ill smile whole life."
Hermione laughed at this. A picture of Draco, his white teeth gleaming, every day for the rest of his life, was a very funny image. He beamed at her. "See? I knew it! You can at least admit that cant you? I mean, you were put into Gryffindor for a reason right?" He knew what he was doing,and she did to. ' Trying to fish for compliments, by playing with my ego? Two can play that game...' She beamed right back at him. "Well, I dont know...," she started coyly,her eyes looking at the ceiling,in a "remebering something" manner. "You see when you smile you remind me of a ferret for some reason...Hmmm, why would that be? Oooo yes, I remember now.." She inwardly laughed,and outwardly smiled at the image of Professor Moody making a ' Draco- Ferret ' bounce up and down through the hallways of Hogwarts.
Dracos smile vanised and was replaced with a cold stare, as if he knew exactly what Hermione was thinking of. "Thats not funny. I could have gotten hurt, in more ways than one, I might add." He looked at her suggestively before he continued, "And you may have never been able to see my faboulous," he automatically put his trademark smirk on his face,as he turned his head to the right, "Wonderful," he turned his head to the left, "Sexy," he faced her from the front with a look on his face, that clearly said that he was enjoying the blushing sensation that Hermione was evidently displaying on her face. "Smile." he finished.
Hermione couldnt help it. She felt like her head was a tomato because of the way it kept changing to red every few seconds. But she wasnt going to give in that easily. "Actually Draco, I think I found you the most sexiest when you were covered in white fur and bouncing up in the air." She laughed out loud, and Dracos grin once again turned into a scowl. "You know, you act like I was the only one that was transformed into something while in school. Or maybe you have forgotten your enormous wood-chompers in fourth year as well?" That shut her up quickly. He smiled mishieviously before continuing, "Lets take a much needed trip down memory lane shall we? Why I remember the very day that it happened, making you forever known among the Slytherins as Beaver- Face." Draco looked down at her with a faraway and reminiscent look, while her expression was of pure embarrassment and anger. " Aaah, Mrs. Malfoy, I see you remember now...I hexed your teeth and they looked like they would never stop growing..good times,good times." Hermione flushed crimson as the memory of the incident came strolling back.
"That was your fault though!" she shouted as she lightly punched him in the chest, almost in a playful manner. He laughed midly at her child-like behavior. She scowled at him, while she continued to pout. "Alright I get it! Man, that was three years ago! Thats in the past now." she said as if that dismissed the matter. Draco looked at her curiously. "And you dont want to remember the past?". Hermione considered this question before answering. "Its not that I dont want to remember it, its jst that so many things are different than then." she spoke softly and logically. Draco moved his face closer to her, his silvery bangs brushing her forehead. A warm shiver circualted down into her stomach. "You mean all of the deaths and stuff?" he looked as if he had been holding this in for awhile. As if he wanted to talk to Hermione about the things that had occured around a week in-a-half-ago.
"Yeah..and our marriage...and the prophecy..and everything." she had spoken in whispered tones and her mouth felt dry. She assumed it had to do with the topic at hand, but with every word she spoke Draco had gotten closer and in the bowels of her mind,even though she didnt want to admit it to her conscious self,she kind of liked it."Yeah..youre right..as always. Youve always been right about everything,as for me I have one thing Im sure of right now." he was also barely speaking,and if anybody was trying to listen in, they wouldnt because of how low and soft his voice was. But Hermione could hear him. "And what exactly is that?" she said,not daring to look away from his eyes,for fear that she would faint from right under him. "That youre not only pretty," he released her hands, from either side of her and started carressing her neck with them," and obviously smart," he replaced his hands with his lips, gently kissing her on the right side of her neck, "and absolutley amazing," he said moving to her left side of her neck.
Hermione felt another warm tingle but this time it went down her spine. She felt goosebumps on her arms. She sighed audibly as Draco kept kissing her neck. Her heart was hammering so hard and so loud, that she was sure that Draco could both feel and hear it. Of course, they had both slept together, for the past two nights they had in fact done that very thing. But even though Draco hadnt been rough or uncaring, he never had done this, and Hermione found herself falling to pieces with every kiss. She invoulntarily fluttered her eyes shut. She only reopened her eyes, when she didnt feel him anymore on her neck. When she opened her eyes, she found that he has staring into her eyes.
They remained like that for a few minutes. Just Staring. An impulse inside Hermione that was so great was talking to her as if a person was actually laying right next to her. ' Kiss him..Kiss Him.' Hermione bit her bottom lip. Her and Draco had never kissed,except the milli-second quick peck on the lips during the wedding. But during their "marital duties" as Hermione had come to refer them as,never. Their eyes seemed to be locked on each other. Then slowly,as if somebody was fiddling around with a time turner somewhere so that time would move very slowly,they moved closer to each other. Dracos straight bangs again brushing against Hermiones forehead. They were very close now,closer than they had ever been. Hermiones chest was heaving. She didnt know what she was doing. She didnt understand the ache that she felt would be remedied by just a solitary kiss. All she knew that she was scantily clad,on top of her bed with a very handsome young man,who himself was hardly dressed as well. And it didnt hurt that these two were married...
They moved closer,and Hermiones eyes shifted downward to his mouth. That voice was back and it kept saying the same thing over and over again. He supported her neck with his hands,so he raised her up a bit. His eyes were also on her lips as well..."Hmmm". Hermione swiveled her head to the left, Dracos hair blowing slightly from the small wind that Hermione had created when she turned her head. She knew that voice too well...It was Lucius Malfoy. He was standing framed in the doorway, for what appeared to be awhile. He had on a black traveling cloak and black bowler hat with emerald robes underneath his black one. His long silver hair,was pulled back and draped over his shoulders,and his cold, steely eyes were surveying the scene before him with disgust. Hermione instinctively put her hand to Dracos chest and puched him away. He didnt object. He got up as quickly as he could,grabbed the clothes that he had on a nearby chair and started dressing himself as quickly as he could,not even once looking at Hermione.
Luciuss never took his eyes off of Hermione,who felt all of a sudden how see-through her nightgown really was. She quickly took some sheets and covered herself quickly from Luciuss protruding stare. He smirked at what she had done,clearly amused. "I hope I wasnt interrupting something too important?" he said, not at all sounding ashamed that he had walked in on something. In fact, he looked evilly eager. Hermione glared at him. Try as she might, she never could understand him. The man that was one of the most extreme Voldemort supporters out there,and also one of the sickest, was her father-in-law,a concept that Hermione day by day found herself unwilling to grasp. Even if she was slowly becoming accustomed to Draco and their "marital duties" she would never make herself comfortable with Lucius Malfoy.
Hermione turned her head in Dracos direction. He was now putting on his shoes, while sitting in one of the many chairs of the room. He didnt return her gaze. Instead, he focused pn his father. "What exactly do you want father, that couldnt wait till later?" he said sharply. He was clearly irritated by his fathers precense. Lucius obviously noticed this at once, but didnt drop his manic smile on his face. "My my Draco...you act like I have walked on something..important." he spoke with an air of sarcastic delight. "As a matter of fact, the reason for my arrival is of utmost importance," he looked serious and turned his head in a secretive manner towards Her" he finished,still staring at Hermione. Hermione slightly shook under his gaze. She didnt know why,but this was the second time under his gaze that she felt weak, and she didnt like this feeling, not one bit.
Draco cleared his throat and his father turned his eyes on him. "Shall we then?" Draco said sort of strained. Lucius just nodded his head and waited for him at the threshold. Hermione shifter her position on the bed in a sitting manner,propped up against the pillows. Draco grabbed his traveling cloak and walked towards his father,but turned around as if in afterthought. He looked up at Hermione and said, neither warmly nor coldly more like apologetically or consolingly, "Ill be back soon. Later on maybe we could go to Diagon Alley or something...would you like that?" Hermiones eyes shot up to meet his in a second. A rare smile stretched across her face,and she felt overjoyed inside. "A-a-a t-trip to Diagon Alley? I havent been there in..." she stopped speaking,her smile bigger than ever. "Y-yes I would like that." she giggled out. Draco smiled back briefly before walking out of the door, his father was holding for him. Lucius,surprisingly didnt follow him.
He remained stationary where he was but said, with an eerie smile across his lips,"Apparently you must be doing something he likes...both in and outside of bed." Hermione stopped smiling abruptly. His sickening eyes and fangy smile sent chills down her spine. He noticed and laughed at her discomfort. He moved his right hand towards his black cloak patting it in a securing manner. "Dont think of trying anything while youre on this little outing. I know that my son is not stupid enough to lend his wand,but that still doesnt mean that you wont try anything. Its such a shame that you dont have yours, isnt it?" He patted his cloak oncd more than turned on his heel and left the room,with the door clicking shut behind him, magically.
A FEW HOURS LATER; MID-AFTERNOON
Hermione sat cross-legged on the soft quilt,with a water bottle in one hand and a book in the other. She was outside in the rose garden,trying to relax. The sun was beating down her neck,and there was no whisper of a breeze anywhere. Hermione blew a stray hair out of the way of her face. Her hair was nestled neatly on the top of her head,and she was wearing an elbow-length light blue cotton botton-up shirt and muggle denim jeans. It was so warm in fact, that her clothes felt as if they were sticking to her very skin. Besides the uncomfortable weather,Hermione still couldnt concentrate on the material she was reading. It was now the second day in a row that she couldnt find herself capable of getting lost in reading,and she found this rather bothersome.
Hermione squinted her eyes in concentration,urging herself to once again reread the paragraph that she had been trying to read for the past 15 minutes; Some the dead can revisit the living when we are more in tune with the spiritual realm, and our state of mind is peaceful. We can accomplish this feat by meditation but most of the time when we are asleep. The spirits that mostly contact us, usually had a divine and intimate connection with the person that they are communicating with. The only way that they really can convey what they are trying to say is through dreams. In these dreams, they can tell the receivers future or destiny in a story,pictoral,or/and symbolic mode. But some of the time,the spirits would tell the person straight out what they are trying to say, and they usually do this when it involves very deep secrets about the future that only the dead would know and understand...
Hermione rubbed her eyes in frustration. No matter how hard she tried, she couldnt bring herself to concentrate on the now blurry words below her on the page. ' What is wrong with me ' she thought. She slammed her book shut,and drank from her water bottle. As she put the bottle down,the sun made a ring on her finger sparkle. She put her hand up and examined for the first time her wedding ring. ' Oh I see...Youre the reason why Im acting like this..or at least the man that gave you to me..'. She put her hadn down and sighed out loud. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up towards the scorching sun. Almost at once memories came washing over her. Memories of Hogwarts, memories of old friends, and memories of friends that were long since gone. Memories of old arguments and fights over important and non-important things..and memories of rivals,that Hermione never thought would be so close to her in her life,came back in fresh waves...
Hermione was so deep in thought that she didnt even see a shadow blocking the sunlight that was hitting her squarely on her face. "Miss me?" a voice said. Hermione opened her eyes and leaned back briefly in a startled manner. "Oh..Draco..its just you.." she breathed out. Draco offered her his hand,and Hermione accepted as she stood up. "Hey..you frightened me you know." she said in an irritated manner. "I mean seriously it couldve been..." but then Hermione stopped talking at once. She was about to say "Lucius" but she changed her mind at the last minute. She didnt know why, but she didnt want Draco to know that she as slightly shaken by his father, Draco smirked at this and said," O yea? It was just me. Who else could it have been? Theres no one else that would be looking for you, right?" Hermione smiled weakly,and bit her tongue,but once again in her mind she couldnt help but think "Lucius." Hermione tried to steer them into a topic that she felt comfortable with. "Well," she started,putting one of her stray golden-brown strands behind her ear. "What is it that you wanted to find me for exactly?"
Draco raised his eyesbrows up in surprise. "What? Dont tell me you forgot? Dont you remember? I was going to take you shopping today in Diagon Alley?" Hermiones face lit up again, like it did earlier that morning when he first said this announcement. "O yes...O please can we go now?" she said, not bothering to hide her excitement. Draco laughed at the way she was acting, just like a little schoolgirl. "If you can hurry up and get your cloak we can be off," he said. Hermione nodded her head,still smiling and started walking past him, until she felt a sharp tug on her wrist. She turned around slowly in confusement to meet her husbands suddenly serious disposition. "Whats wrong?" she inquired. "I just want to let you know that you please consider this a privilege. And like all of them, they can be abused. I beg of you not to abuse this trust that I have in you." He looked her straight in the eyes, then continued, "My father thinks that Im giving you too much freedom in letting you go on an outing only four days after the wedding,but like I said I trust you." Hermione saw both the seriousness and pleadingfulness in both his voice and eyes. She nodded her head in truthful understanding,and Draco let go of her wrist. She turned her back on him and only walked a few steps when she felt something soft and light collide with her back.
It wasnt a very forceful throw but it still agitated her, as she turned around on her heel to find a laughing Draco pointing at her and the quilt and saying between laughs, "I think you forgot something." Hermione furrowed her eyes and picked up the quilt in a snatcy manner. "Honestly,what is your probem today? You must be on an emotional rollercoaster or something." She walked towards him,in a slightly marching fashion. "Only when Im with you." he answered her cooly,as he handed the water bottle to her. "Very Funny," she said as she bent over and reached for her book,but Draco was faster. Hermione stood upright and watched Draco,turning the book over in his hands examining it. "Doing a little bit of light reading," he said,looking at the title. "The Realm Beyond Us: Real Dream Definitions and Interpretations by Spiritual Mediums. Unlock the Secrets the Dead are Trying to Conceal. Youre actually reading this garbage?" he asked her. Hermione made out to reach the book, but Draco held it up over his head, which made quite a big difference seeing as how tall he was. "Not exactly reading,more like perusing," she said as she made another grab for the book,but failed miserably. "Besides, I couldnt concentrate, the sun was bothering my eyes." she lied lamely.
Draco laughed. "Liar, when I came out here you werent even reading," he said teasingly. Draco started moving away from Hermione towards the mansion,Hermione hot on his heels, enflamed that she had been caught in her own lie. "Look what does it matter? Can I please just have it back, ok?" she said talking every few strides. Draco laughed at her poutiness and let her have the book,but first not without receiving a light, playful hit in the arm. Hermione laughed, as Draco started to chase Hermione, both playfully pushing each other around. They were having so much fin they both didnt realize that they were being watched. High above, in a crystal clean window was a pair of old silvery-gray looking down in disgust at his son and his daughter-in-law...
A few short minutes later, Hermione and Draco were standing in front of a beautiful oak fireplace with a pot of floo powder in Dracos hand. Hermione wondered in curiousity why on earth they were traveling in this magical way. "Um Draco..dont you know how to apparate?" she questioned. Draco straightened his cloak fastenings as he spoke, "Yes of course, but since father knows that you cannot yet and even though you are of age to learn he simply wont let you take the test." Hermione looked at him in surprise. "Even if the Ministry is under your Masters complete control, he still wont let me at least apply to take the test?" Draco shook his head. "Yeah, he figures that wouldnt be such a great idea, come on, no more questions, dont you want to go?" Hermione bit her lip, and nodded. She couldnt help it. She was nervous. This would be the first time since she had gotten married to Draco, that she would be out in public with him, or for that matter out of the mansions at all. She dipped her hand in the floo powder pot, and stepped into the grate. "DIAGON ALLEY," she bellowed before emerald green flames licked and enveloped her entire body, and in a second she was gone.
LATE AFTERNOON,SUNSET,EARLY EVENING
Hermione flopped down on her back on top of her bed. She had a huge smile on her face, and a pair of twin rosy cheeks that hadnt been there in a long time. There was bags upon bags in her hands and arms, and even more so in the arms of the tiny house-elves that were now putting all of her newly-bought things away magically. She never thought that she was going to shop this much and she didnt, Draco insisted that she buy an entire wardrobe and then some, even though she repeatedly said that she had more than enough in her closet at home. To top it all off, she had been overjoyed since she first set foot in the wonderful place that always made her summers complete as a child. Of course, not every thing could be perfect. Hermione soon realized how much the wizarding world knew and what they didnt know about her marriage to Draco, and her supposed "betrayal" to her fiancee,friends and Dumbledore. People would steal glances at her and whisper not to concealingly behind their hands as she and Draco would pass by. Draco when he caught them would either say some rude remark or simply glare at them and they would desist. Hermione knew that her marriage with a Malfoy would not have been concealed. The Malfoys were a very popular, very well known, and feared family, and Hermione now married to one seemed to be the latest gossip on everybodys tongues.
Another thing that she had to get used to was the fact that she now had almost an endless amount of money. She of course didnt have a vault of her own, but she shared her husbands,and their was more than enough for the both of them. But it wasnt all shopping and rude gossipers, Draco took her to one of the most prominent and expensive wizard restaurants in the whole of Diagon Alley for dinner. Hermione sighed as she remembered all the things that happened to her today. She yawned and sat up on her bed. Two house-elves were still in the room. Hermione smiled as she recognized one of them. "Li-Li! How have you been?" Hermione said as she beamed at the pair of them. Li-Li beamed back enthusiastically, while the smaller house-elf that accompiened her smiled back at Hermione shyly and stood behind Li-Li. "Good, Missus,good. Missus, Li-Li wants you to meet Li-Lis baby brother Gimpy." Li-Li turned around and pushed her brother Gimpy forward. "Say Hi, to Missus Gimpy. Donts be shy" Li-Li said encouraging her brother. Hermione smiled at the small house-elf warmly. "Hello Gimpy. How are you?" Gimpy blushed crimson and whispered," F-f-ffine Missus." Li-Li giggled slightly and said, "Li-Li just wanteds Missus to meets little brother of Li-Li before we have to goes back to doing our choresses." Li-Li said happily.
Hermione laughed at the pair of them and nodded understandingly. Hermione, much to her surprise, yawned again. Li-Li and Gimpy laughed at this. "Looks like Missus had a long day?" Li-Li said between her fingers, trying to stop her giggling. Hermione smiled and shrugged her shoulders non-chalantly. "Guess so." Li-Li and Gimpy walked towards the bedroom door and opened it quietly. "Well leave you to sleep now, ok Missus?" said Li-Li and Gimpy before shutting the door behind them with a click. Hermione attempted to stop them, but felt too tired to do so. She took off her cloak and slimbed into bed, still in her clothes,fluttered her eyes slightly before falling into a well-deserved sleep.
"Hermione you have to wake up. Powerful things are happening and you have to face them...you have to stop them." Hermione felt cold sweat all over her body. She felt like she was entangled in something but she didnt exactly know what. She couldnt see anything but smoke and darkness. She felt like she wanted to cough but found herself not being able to do so. But she could speak. "Whos there? Whats happening? Whats going on?" she spoke into the seeming nothingness. Hermione felt like she was searching for something or someone but she didnt know just what. All she knew is that someone had spoken and she recognized that voice. "Ron, is that you? Are you here?" Hermione spoke again bravely into the eternal shadows. A warm hand was placed on Hermiones cheek, and she felt secure. "Im here..But you shouldnt be. Hermione please wake up. You must fight. You must begin figthing the struggle." Rons voice could be heard plainly from behind Hermione,and she still felt his hand upon her cheek. "Why should I leave? I feel good here. What struggle are you talking about?" Hermione whispered to him. The shadows no longer foreboding to her,but peaceful. She liked it here and she didnt want to leave,no matter what Ron was saying. "The struggle for your true identity, your true life. The life you were meant to live since birth. Get up fair Hermione,get up." Rons voice was very close to her neck. Hermione closed her eyes. "Never" she said. In one swift moment,she no longer felt him behind her. She didnt feel his touch on her cheek, nor his shadow intertwined with hers. Hermione turned around and saw nothing but the same endless,dark,dusty night. "GET UP" shouted a harsh voice in the distance.
Hermione got up in a one jerking motion on her bed. She breathed in and out rapidly. She clenched her fists and noticed that droplets of sweat were on them. Hermione pushed back the hair out of her face,and noticed as well that she had broken out in a chilling cold sweat. She shivered slightly. Still shaking, she reached across her bedside table and tried to pour herself some water,but due to her shaking and weak condition,she dropped the water jug with a huge sound of metal hitting wood with water drenching the carpet. Hermione tried to get out of bed to clean up the mess,but her feet were locked in a position as a mummy with the covers tightening around them.She slowly started disentangling herself from the sheets. As she got up, she felt like her legs were going to buckle from under her. She grabbed the edge of the bedpost for support. "Now I know how Harry feels whenever he had one of those horrid visions,"she said slurringly. "Alright Hermione, pull it together," she said to herself. Hermione walked clumsily a few paces towards the water jug on the floor. As she was about to pick it up the water jug. A huge boom sounded just a few corriders down from her own door.
Hermione felt a huge aftershock rumble. She heard strange footsteps and a scream sounded from somewhere inside the house. Hermione, instinctively without really knowing what she was doing, grabbed the water jug and held it out in front of her as a weapon. She wasnt really sure what damage she could do with such an a mediocre weapon but she would rather feel somewhat protected than all the way defenseless. She felt her heart punding inside of her chest, she felt like she was going to have heart attack. She edgily stepped towards the door, shaking from her weak condition and the possibility of an attack. "Wheres Draco?" she whispered dodgily to herself. ' What if hes hurt? ' she thought panicking slightly. Her footsteps creaked on the floor the closer she got to the door, Hermiones heart somewhere lodged in the back of her throat. Then a deafening noise vibrated through all of the walls of the house and Hermiones door was blown off the hinge, pieces of wood and parts of the wall surrounding the wall was blown in opposite directions. Hermione ducked just in time before a particular big piece of metal came soaring to her eye. Hermione shielded her eyes with her arms, the water jug lay forgotten on the floor beside her.
Coughing and sputtering through all of the debris, Hermione cautiously opened her eyes to find the silhouette of a young woman in the entrance of the now blown-away door. Through all of the smoke and debris Hermione couldnt make out who it was, but apparently the person was speaking to her, but all Hermione could hear was mixed-match grumbles. The young woman seemed to be in the company of another woman and they both lifted a struggling Hermione gently off the floor. Hermione rubbed her eyes and finally was able to see straight. A fire of recognizable red hair was the first thing she saw. Then a round face, brown eyes, freckles... "GINNY?" Hermione shouted surprisingly, taking a step back away from the redhead and almost colliding with her bed.
The other woman that was with her caught Hermione in time before she toppled onto the bed. "Be careful there, wouldnt want hurt yourself." Hestia Jones said as she sagian helped Hermione to a stationary position. Hermione made a huge "O"-shape with her mouth, and covered it slowly with her ring hand. "H-hh-Hestia...Hestia Jones?" she repeated with an expression of utmost bedazzlemet and astonishment. Hestia smiled warmly at her. "Poor thing, well at least they havent brainwashed you to forget your friends...but you look entirely pale and weak, thank goodness we arrived here just in time,"Hestia said consolingly and motherly. Hermiones eyes looked glued to the spot where Hestia stood. Her mouth still wide-open and her hand still raised up in the air. Ginnys eyes squinted in the direction of Hermiones hand and yanked it,making Hermione jerk out of her manner. " What is this? O I see, the bastard got you a ring and everything to make it seem more official and real huh?" Ginny proclaimed angrily.Hermione didnt know what to say. Between her dream and sudden appearance of Hestia and Ginny, Hermione felt like the use of her tongue ceased to exist.
"Now come on Ginny, dont start. Lets just go now..wait I think I hear footsteps,"Hestia said in a commanding manner. Ginny dropped Hermiones hand and raised her wand forward at the same time Hestia did. A balding man that smelled of wet dogs poked his head through the destroyed doorframe. "Coast clear, ahh I see you got the girl well good lets go then, before old stinky face Malfoy comes bustling down here, I got Tonks and the boy Weasley stalling people, but come on we cant hold them off forever." Mundungus Fletcher said warningly. He had his wand raised as well, but it was pointing in the opposite direction of Hestia and Ginnys wands. "Right. No time to chat then lets get a move on." Ginny said. "Come one Hermione, its gonna be alright. Trust me." Ginny said softly to her as she tightly grasped onto Hermiones wrist, following Hestia and Mundungus out of the room and down the hall.
"Dont worry Hermione, well have you out of this hellhole in no time," Mundungus said sloppily,winking at her. Hermione didnt say anything, she felt lockjawed. She wanted to scream what the hell they were doing here, but it seemed obvious. They were here to rescue Hermione, they thought she was in mortal peril or being treated injustly or something along those lines. The corriders blurred past Hermione in a swirl of darkness, as Ginny lead her by the hand, sometimes walking, sometimes running, and most of the time turning in down other corriders, that Hermione was sure lead the way as far away from the bedroom quarters as possible, and as Hermione thought about it, thats what exactly they were trying to do. Put as much space in between them and the rest of the other inhabitants. Finally, just when Hermione felt like she was going to faint, they stopped in the middle of a hallway with three corriders leading from it. "Shhh..listen..Do you hear that?" Mundungus said, his finger pressed against his mouth.
Footsteps were echoing from one of the corriders on front of them. Two figures were racing towards them. It was Tonks and George Weasley.:"RUN..WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE, NOW," Tonks yelled once she got in plain eyesight of the group. "Why?" Ginny said, one hand on her wand the other still holding tightly onto Hermiones wrist. But then behind them, another figure was wlaking fast towards them. "Gotcha," the voice of Lucius Malfoy echoed around the hall, "Youre mine now, trespassers." He turned his steely gray eyes at Hermione and snickerd," Ahh.. I see you have found and retrieved the prize that you have come for, good job, but what else should I expect? Im sure she gave no resistance in being taken away,"he said sneering at Hermione, his wand pointing to her heart. "What a poor choice in bride, but what can you expect from a mudblood." Hermione, as if by magic, found her tongue at these words. "Noooooo,...you misunderstand..I am not here by my free wil...I-" Hermione started to say, but was immediatley cut off by Ginny who had lifted her own wand at Lucius and started to stare him down and said,"Thats right. She came on her own! Were going to get her out of this place, and away from that snake of a son of yours." Ginny shouted. Lucius raised his wand a little higher and uttered a spell at the same time Ginny did. Ginnys spell hit Lucius right on the chest, knocking him out for a few seconds, while Luciuss hit Tonks too in the chest, but making her fall to the ground, her head bleeding tremendously.
Hestia cried out and with the help of Mundungus helped to support Tonks up off the floor, putting both of her arms over their heads. Ginny looked panicked but when she saw that Lucius showed signs of coming too, she bellowed, "Come one, we have to keep on going if were going to make it out of here alive!" Ginny lead the way as fats as she could down one of the three corriders, leading away from their position. They kept walking faster and faster until they reached the end of the corrider. It was a dead end. All there was, was a picture of a younger Lucius Malfoy staring down at the group of them sneering disapprovingly. "Perfect. We try to get out, and all we find is another bloody picture of that stupid snot!" Fred yelled to no one in particular. Mundungus helped Hestia bring Tinks to down slowly. She was definetly knocjed out, but she was loosing blood rapidly. "Tonks..wake up..Tonks!" Hestia kept saying over and over again. Ginny kept holding tighter on Hermiones hand, as of afraid that Hermione was going to run off at any second...and this idea had crossed Hermiones mind more than once.
"We need to get out of here," George repeated. "Before Lucius reawakens and sends for his goons to come after us." Mundungus was helping Hestia with Tonks, and George kept on pacing around in thought. Suddenly, a huge creak sounded where they were. The portrait opened from the side, and a tiny house-elf came out from it. "Li-Li!" Hermione proclaimed. She managed to break free of Ginnys grip and went over and hugged the little house-elf. "What are you doing here?" Hermione said. Li-Li looked positively shaking, and her eyes grew wide as she looked at the people who were surrounding them. Hermione let go of Li-Li and Li-Li said,"T-ttrying to g-gget away from the big noises. Li-Li used the secret passageway." She pointed to the portrait. Ginnys eyes widened. "Where does that passage lead to, elf?" she said as mock politley and calmly as she could muster. Li-Li didnt answer her, instead looked at Hermione. Hermione nodded her head, indicating for Li-Li to tell them. "T-tthe left one goes to the kitchens..the r-rright one goes to an underground tunnel that leads outside the grounds,and past he Entrance Gate outside,"she said stuttering all the way. "Brilliant." George said enthusiastically. "Well just use the passageway." "Oh no you wont! Youre not leaving here with my wife," a cold voice boomed from the shadows. Draco Malfoy walked into the torchlight, illuminating him completely. Li-Li gave a small yelp and crashed down on the floor in a bowing position and Hermione stiffened up straight startled to see her husbands presence.
"Oh yeah? Well, you can try to take her back but through my dead body first." George said, stepping forward, directly in front of Draco. Draco kept his eyes locked on Hermione for a moment, then turned his gaze over to George and smirked. "Fine. Have it your way..but I dont think I will need a wand to finish you." Draco paused after he said these words for a few seconds, then quite unexpectantly and suddenly punched George right in the nose. George stumbled back, his nose clearly broken by the amount of blood gushing out from it. Ginny strode forward to help her brother, who couldnt talk through all the blood. "Bastard" she screamed at him. "Egotistical prat, no wonder Hermione wants to leave this place so bad." Draco immediatley turned his gaze towards Hermione, his face slightly confused but full of pending anger. "Oh she does, does she? What, I suppose she tells you I rape her and beat her senseless, is that it?" he said evilly. Hermione shaked in her place. She hated this side of Draco.She had to act quickly before he took it too far. "Stop. Thats not true. I never told them that Draco." Hermione strode forward, an idea rising in her head. She softly pulled Li-Li up from her position. "Will you help me out?" she whispered to her. Li-Li looked apprehensively at Draco, then nodded her head in a "yes" form. "What is it that Missus wants Li-Li to do?" Hermione looked up first at her husbadn, then from Tonks, to George, to finally Ginny who looked questionably at Hermione. "I want you to lead my friends down thr passageway until you are sure they will be free of peril."
"Absolutely not" Draco commanded. Hermione got up from her bending position while she was talking to Li-Li. She stared him staright on the eye. "Do it. Do it now, Li-Li. I order you." Li-Li didnt even hesitate as she walked over to the portrait door, swung it open, and waited until the people followed her. Hermione looked at Hestia and Mundungus, and tilted her head towards the portrait,"Please. Go. Its the only way." Hestia hesitated for a split second, then looking at Tonks condition, walked towards the portrait hole, with Mundunguss help, supporting Tonks. "See you in a minute then," Hestia called back as they climbed through the hole. As Draco watched them leave, his face turned furious. "Li-Li, I command you to stop," he repeated, but nop matter how many times he said it, it made no difference. Li-Li helped Ginny support Fred, as he stumbled towards the portrait entrance. As Li-Li was putting Freds foot through the hole, Ginny looked back at Hermione.
"Come on Hermione, time to go," she said as she held out an arm to her. Hermione looked at her and back at Draco. She looked him in the eyes. "If you want yo go,then go, I give up." he said harshly. Hermione searched his eyes, looking for something, anything. Then she made up her mind. Still staring at Draco, she spoke to Ginny softly,"Im not going with you." Ginny blinked her eyes several times. "What? Wait..you mean..youre staying here with this bastard?" Ginny cried out. Hermione never broke eye contact with Draco. "Thats right. Im not going anywhere. So please just go. Before anything bad happens to you. I dont want Lucius and them finding you, please Ginny go. Before its too late."Hermione said pleadingly. But Ginny didnt budge. "You mean to tell me that you are staying here with this satanic monster...and..youre dishonoring my brothers memory by actually choosing to be here with him?" At these words, Hermione turned her head sharply.
"Ginny..you wouldnt understand." she said. Ginny looked positvely outraged. "What..What wont I understand? That you are actually, possibly enjoying living here? That you like all this money, and fancy stuff and sleeping with this boy? Is that what you want me to understand?" Hermione turned her head to the floor. "You couldnt possibly understand..because even I dont understand..not yet. I just know that im fine here and thats what matters." Ginny looked at Hermione as if she had just slapped her. "Fine? Fine? You chose fine over your friends? US? The ones who risked our necks to save your ungrateful ass! Well fine, Im gone." Ginny strode over to the portrait hole entrance, and then turned her head back, "But know this. From this point on..you are nothing to me. Nothing." and then she was gone, with the slide of the portrait going back into place.
As soon as the portrait hole snapped shut. Hermione all of a sudden figured out how exactly weak she was. Her knees were shaking and they buckled. She was about to hit the floor, when Draco caught her. Hermione looked up at his face. He looked confused,and a little shaken himself. But there was a twinkle in his eye. "You okay?" he asked. Hermione breathed in slowly. "Yeah..thanks for letting them go. Please dont tell your Death Eater comrades, please?" she aked him, pleadingly as he helped her to her feet. He didnt get a chance to answer, because at that moment footsteps echoed down the corrider. Lucius Malfoy, newly conscious, followed by a trail of Death Eaters behind him, all of them looking livid and staring at the pair of them. "Where did they go? Tell me son, where?" Lucius screeched. Draco looked at Hermione, and Hermione pleaded to him with her eyes. He looked emotionless as he looked at her and then he turned to his father. "Not sure. I came down here looking for my wife, and I found her here on the ground, unconscious. Apparently, she seperated from the group or something." Draco showed no hint of a lie when he spoke. Lucius studied his son and then said suspiciously," Apparently so. Well then take her to her quarters...I dont think it would be wise to keep her out here alone with that lot around, dont you agree, Hermione?" he said mock-worringly. Hermione nodded through clenched teeth. Draco grabbed her wrist and lead her away from the prying and suspicious eyes of the Death Eaters.
Draco repaired the door easily. Hermione sat on the couch uncomfortably, revisiting all of the memories of todays events in her head. It seemed almost unreal that just a few minutes ago that she had just seen her friends, members of the Order of the Phoenix here. Hermione leaned closer to the blazing fire. An echo of words floated around her head. The last conversation that she had had with Ginny. Hermione didnt understand why she didnt want to b rescued. Why did she choose to stay here? Why did I not choose to be safe and sound with my friends? Why did I choose to stay here with Draco? She turned her head in Dracos direction. He was pacing in front of the fireplace/ Hermione lowered her eyes. A tear fell from her eye, as she remebered the way Ginny looked at her before she went through that portal. A look of anger,hurt and dissappointment A look that made Hermione hurt in the very deep pit of her stomach and ask that ultimate question: Why did I choose Draco?